Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T14:22:45.675Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Throughput Times for Adults and Children During Two Drive-Through Influenza Vaccination Clinics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2013

Laura L. Banks ,
Cameron Crandall  and
Luke Esquibel
Laura L. Banks*
Affiliation:
University of New Mexico Center for Disaster Medicine, Albuquerque, USA
Cameron Crandall
Affiliation:
University of New Mexico Department of Emergency Medicine, Albuquerque, USA
Luke Esquibel
Affiliation:
University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, USA
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Laura L. Banks, DVM, University of New Mexico Center for Disaster Medicine, MSC11 6025, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001 (e-mail: [email protected]).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives

Successful planning for public health emergencies requires knowledge of effective methods for mass distribution of medication and supplies to the public. We measured the time required for the key components of 2 drive-through vaccination clinics and summarized the results as they applied to providing medical countermeasures to large populations of children and adults. We hypothesized that vaccinating children in addition to adults would affect throughput time.

Methods

Using 2 separate drive-through vaccination clinics, we measured elapsed time for vehicle flow and vaccination procedures. We calculated the median length of stay and the time to administer vaccinations based on the number of individual vaccinations given per vehicle, and compared the vehicles in which children (aged 9-18 years) were vaccinated to those in which only adults were vaccinated.

Results

A total of 2174 vaccinations and 1275 vehicles were timed during the 2 clinics. The number of vaccinations and vehicles per hour varied during the course of the day; the maximums were 200 and 361 per hour, respectively. The median throughput time was 5 minutes, and the median vaccination time was 48 seconds. Flow over time varied by the hour, and the optimum number of vaccinations per vehicle to maximize efficiency was between 3 and 4. Our findings showed that the presence of children raised the total number of vaccinations given per vehicle and, therefore, the total vaccination processing time per vehicle. However, the median individual procedure time in the vehicles with children was not significantly increased, indicating no need to calculate increased times for processing children 9 years of age or older during emergency planning.

Conclusions

Drive-through clinics can provide a large number of seasonal influenza vaccinations in a relatively efficient manner; provide needed experience for students and practitioners in techniques for mass administration of medical countermeasures; and assist public health and emergency management personnel with disaster planning. Including children older than 9 years does not reduce efficiency. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;0:1–7)

Keywords

throughputdrive-throughinfluenzavaccinationPOD
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , April 2013 , pp. 175 - 181
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Davis, M, Kammersall, MS, Altevogt, BM. Dispensing Medical Countermeasures for Public Health Emergencies. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2008.Google Scholar
2.Rambhia, KJ, Watson, M, Sell, TK, etal. Mass vaccination for the 2009 H1N1 pandemic: approaches, challenges, and recommendations. Biosecur Bioterror. 2010;8(4):321-330.Google Scholar
3.Rega, P, Bork, C, Chen, Y, etal. Using an H1N1 vaccination drive-through to introduce healthcare students and their faculty to disaster medicine. Am J Disaster Med. 2010;5(2):129-136.Google Scholar
4. Cities Readiness Initiative. Atlanta, Georgia: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/cri. Accessed January 16, 2012.Google Scholar
5.Public Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning. Atlanta, Georgia: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; March 2011. http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/capabilities/DSLR_capabilities. Accessed January 3, 2012.Google Scholar
6.Nelson, C, Chan, EW, Chandra, A, etal. Recommended Infrastructure Standards for Mass Antibiotic Dispensing. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corp; April 2008.Google Scholar
7.Rebmann, T, Coll, B. 2009 APIC Emergency Preparedness Committee. Infection prevention in points of dispensing. Am J Infect Control. 2009;37:695-702.Google Scholar
8.Baccam, P, Willauer, D, Krometis, J, etal. Mass prophylaxis dispensing concerns: traffic and public access to PODs. Biosecur Bioterror. 2011;9(2):139-151.Google Scholar
9.Hansen, S, Dunn, K. Novel distribution of influenza vaccine in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Am J Infect Control. 2004;32(3):E95.Google Scholar
10.Burger, TL, Fry, DA. Drive-through flu clinic meets high expectations. Pa Nurse. 2007;62(4):25-26.Google Scholar
11.Pavelchak, N, Franko, E, Zhu, J, etal. Assessment of carbon monoxide exposure during the operation of indoor drive-through mass vaccination clinics. Disaster Med Public Health Prep. 2009;3(3):158-162.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Zerwekh, T, McKnight, J, Hupert, N, etal. Mass medication modeling in response to public health emergencies: outcomes of a drive-thru exercise. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2007;13(1):7-15.Google Scholar
13.Weiss, EA, Ngo, J, Gilbert, GH, etal. Drive-through medicine: a novel proposal for rapid evaluation of patients during an influenza pandemic. Ann Emerg Med. 2010;55:268-273.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Callagy, P, Woodfall, M. Drive-through triage and care system: lessons learned from a pandemic drill. J Emerg Nurs. 2009;35:588-593.Google Scholar
15.National Association of County and City Health Officials; Orange County (FL) Health Department; Louisville (KY) Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. Drive-Thru Point of Dispensing Planning Guide. Washington, DC: National Association of County and City Health Officials. http://www.naccho.org/topics/emergency/SNS/upload/Drive-ThruPoDPlanningGuide_8-25-10.pdf. Accessed June 20, 2012.Google Scholar
16.Summit County Health Department; Tooele County Health Department. Operation Cache Out. Salt Lake City, Utah: Department of Health; May 17, 2012. https://rocketcare.utoledo.edu/disastermedicine/?p=8272. Accessed June 20, 2012.Google Scholar